--- title: Ellen DeGeneres: Mississippi Law Discriminates Against LGBT description: Ellen DeGeneres spoke out during her show on Wednesday about controversial laws passed recently in Mississippi and North Carolina canonical: https://time.com/4286050/ellen-degeneres-mississippi-law-lgbt/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-07T21:59:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:55:55.789Z article:section: Politics og:title: Ellen DeGeneres Denounces Mississippi Law as Anti-LGBT Discrimination og:description: "This is not politics. This is human rights." og:url: https://time.com/4286050/ellen-degeneres-mississippi-law-lgbt/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaff30b02e5be2b89/69888e39524fc04514df77fe/ellen-degeneres.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: People's Choice Awards 2016 - Press Room og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ellen DeGeneres Denounces Mississippi Law as Anti-LGBT Discrimination twitter:description: "This is not politics. This is human rights." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaff30b02e5be2b89/69888e39524fc04514df77fe/ellen-degeneres.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Ellen DeGeneres Denounces Mississippi Law as Anti-LGBT Discrimination > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=16997175-7482-4dec-869e-5af9b435a8a0&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: North Carolina Gives Local Governments the Right to Discriminate [Watch (HLS stream): North Carolina Gives Local Governments the Right to Discriminate](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/oweJ28Vr.m3u8) (1:01)  _Published 2016-03-24. North Carolina lawmakers called a one-day session to pass a law making it impossible for local governments to pass their own anti-discrimination laws after a law passed in Charlotte giving transgender people the right to choose which bathroom..._  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Apr 7, 2016 9:59 PM UTC  Ellen DeGeneres poses on the press room at the 2016 People's Choice Awards on January 6\. in Los Angeles, Calif. Ellen DeGeneres poses on the press room at the 2016 People's Choice Awards on January 6\. in Los Angeles, Calif. Jason LaVeris—FilmMagic/Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Apr 7, 2016 9:59 PM UTC Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres [spoke out during her show on Wednesday](http://ellentube.com/videos/0-0wrxm7u9/) about controversial laws passed recently in Mississippi and North Carolina, calling the former “the definition of discrimination.” The [Mississippi law](http://time.com/4282391/mississippi-law-refuse-gay-couples/) allows public and private businesses to refuse service to gay couples based on religious beliefs. The [North Carolina law](http://time.com/4271861/north-carolina-anti-discrimination-backlash/) prohibits local governments from enacting anti-discrimination measures to protect the LGBT community. Both have already drawn criticism from [businesses](http://time.com/4276240/bank-america-north-carolina-lgbt-discimination/) and [elected leaders in other states](http://time.com/4272722/san-francisco-mayor-restricts-government-travel-to-north-carolina-over-discriminatory-law/). > [](https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/status/717490361778606080) **Read more:** [Why So Many States Are Fighting Over LGBT Rights in 2016](http://time.com/4277247/north-carolina-georgia-lgbt-rights-religious-liberty-bills/) “I’m not a political person,” said DeGeneres, who is a lesbian and has long been an advocate for LGBT rights. “I’m really not, but this is not politics. This is human rights.” > [](https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/status/717490361778606080) “If you’re in Mississippi or North Carolina or anywhere, and you’re saddened by the fact that people are judging you based on who you love, don’t lose hope,” said DeGeneres, who grew up in neighboring Louisiana. “I was fired for being gay, and I know what it feels like. I lost everything, but look at me now. I could buy that governor’s mansion, flip it and make a $7 million profit.” Watch the full video [here](http://ellentube.com/videos/0-0wrxm7u9/). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4286050/ellen-degeneres-mississippi-law-lgbt/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4286050/ellen-degeneres-mississippi-law-lgbt/"},"headline":"Ellen DeGeneres Denounces Mississippi Law as Anti-LGBT Discrimination","datePublished":"2016-04-07T21:59:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:55:55.789Z","description":"\"This is not politics. 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